Sen. Ellis: What budget crunch? Expand babysitting!

I can’t see Sen. Rodney Ellis’ latest bill filings making it through the Texas House but with the real action being in the Texas Senate, where Democratic votes are actually meaningful, you never know what will happen, so it is important to bring it up and try to get it stopped before it starts. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Sen. Ellis that we have to tighten our budget belt, not expand it, because he filed two bills this past Friday which would cost taxpayers not only a lot of tax money but would also continue the expansion of one of liberal social engineering’s favorite programs: state-supported babysitting.

That’s right, Sen. Ellis wants to expand Pre-Kindergarten at the same time most school districts are trying to deal with the reality that they already spend more than will be available to them in the next two year budget. In his SB 599, he drops the eligibility age from four years down to three, meaning that every school district with 15 or more four year olds MUST offer pre-kindergarten and every school district with 15 or more three year olds that meet one of six requirements MUST offer pre-kindergarten. As if that wasn’t enough, his SB-598 limits pre-kindergarten class sizes to 18 students.

It is too early in the process for a fiscal note to be attached but I can already tell you what it will cost: exactly one boatload.

But academics aren’t the real motivation for expanding pre-k, social engineering is. Who needs parental involvement? Just have the state take over that role because the sooner the left can indoctrinate our children, the better chance they have of convincing them that collectivism is better than individualism, right? Think not? I found a very interesting blog post from a young woman that is studying to be a teacher. She talks about her experience with pre-k, in a very positive way. But reading her account of it, presented as proof positive that pre-k is “good”, will be like fingernails on a chalkboard to anyone that thinks our children should be nurtured in such a way that they are able to think independently. Please do read her account. Just one quote for now:

My CT gave each child either a red or green manipulative piece. She then told the students to line up in an ABABAB pattern according to which color manipulative they had. After telling them to work together cooperatively, she stepped back and watched. I remember thinking, “No way, she is definitely going to intervene at some point to help them out.” It was fascinating to see each student’s personality surface as some were content with being told where to stand and others acted as leaders. Seeing them cooperate with one another without any adult intervention was eye-opening. Although they did not form a perfect pattern at the end, I learned that these students are capable of so much more than I, my partner, or any of our peers thought they were.

Is that what we as a society really want? Children defined as “leaders” based upon behavior in a state-controlled environment at three years old? I certainly don’t and hope most of you don’t either. Again, read that entire account of her day at pre-k. Reminds me of the Soviet Union education system at the height of the cold war.

The plain truth is that these programs are designed for two reasons: indoctrination to collectivism and to give single mothers a place to drop off their kids so that they can go to work. One of the more fascinating things you can do on a day that school is cancelled unexpectedly is to watch how mad the parents get because of the inconvenience they face, be it finding a paid babysitter or gasp, having to spend time with their children.

Senate Republicans, hold your ground and stop nonsense like this.

Update:Commenter “AH” noted that I misread the bill. He is correct. Sen. Ellis used “may” for three year olds rather than the original language of “shall”. Therefore, my use of “MUST” in reference to three year olds provided pre-k is incorrect. My mistake. Thank you, “AH”, for your diligence in reading the bills.

27 Responses

God, you Rush Limbaugh types REALLY do know how to talk out of your ARSE, don’t you…. These babysitters as you call them ACTUALLY do help kids that are in NEED.

I, for one can attest to the benefit a Pre-K class does for their child. My son has been diagnosed as PDDNOS (Autism and some asbergers syndrome. Wit the help he received in getting Pre-K he is now doing QUITE well in a 4th grade class with his peers.

Without that early intervention and help, he would be off in special classes that the school district would have to be paying for and dealing with him in this manner for a few years.

Don’t you see, if you help them now, EARLY and get them moving the right way, it will SAVE YOU in the long run?

No, all you can do is help Big Time Oil Companies who HELP get your sorry arse re-elected with your buddy Governor Hair…

Sweden consistently rates in the top three in the world in education and doesn’t allow children to attend public school until age First Grade. Sweden doesn’t have pre-K4 or Kindergarten. Since Pre-K has been mandated in Texas, scores have gone down. Pre-K for 3-year-olds would do even more damage.

You don’t think that pattern recognition, teamwork and organizational skills are important to develop? Can I ask how, pray tell, you know what the Soviet education system was like? Kids in a classroom is indoctrination to collectivism?

There was a time when “conservative” was defined by intellectuals with big ideas: Buckley, Goldwater, Niskanen, Kirk, etc. Now it is defined by sloppy drivel such as this. The only thing they have in common is the smugness with which it is delivered. Unfortunately, smug only serves to highlight how bankrupt it really is.

If you want Buckley type intellectual blog posts, please go to Big Jolly Politics and read Ed Hubbard’s posts. I think you will find them to be quite stimulating. Dave

db64: That’s wrong about Sweden. Children are guaranteed a place in a government-funded pre-school from the age of one. Schooling is not mandatory until first grade. Homeschooling is not generally permitted. Really, it took about 5 seconds to look that up on Wikipedia, and then validate that from a second source.

You are right that Sweden performs very well in student achievement. I wonder if early education has anything to do with that.

Wow. People really don’t have to look any further than this to understand why our country is falling being internationally. Social engineering? Indoctrination? I remember learning math and physics in high school and being prepped for a college education and a career in engineering. If that’s what you consider liberal indoctrination then we’re really screwed. I’m not saying some parents aren’t capable of home schooling, but for most families where the mother and father both have to work, it’s not a option. Allowing our school to rot for those who can’t afford (or let’s face it, aren’t smart and shouldn’t be teaching kids anyway) is not the way to make this country better.

Did you ever think that some people may have to work long hours and can’t afford a sitter, and that’s why we have pre-k? So that we are encouraging productivity from our citizens and not perpetual poverty?

“One of the more fascinating things you can do on a day that school is cancelled unexpectedly is to watch how mad the parents get because of the inconvenience they face, be it finding a paid babysitter or gasp, having to spend time with their children.”

This is because we (gasp!) work! We have jobs. Some of our mothers are single, and that’s not a bad thing. I was raised by a single mother. We couldn’t afford a babysitter (or find one last second) and she had a job where she couldn’t take time off without notice. This is how most of the world operates and it’s out of touch citizens such as yourself which drive policies that injure the poor.

Welcome to the Chron blogs. You have quickly usurped the title of “most paranoid conservative ever to have graced these pages.” Somewhere, even Melissa Clothier is saying “man this guy needs to stop drinking the kool-aid.”

Oh no! Our kids are being taught pattern recognition and teamwork! Red Dawn is coming soon! And some are being called “leaders” because they take charge. That is SOOO frightening. Did it ever occur to you that some people are leaders and some are followers by nature? This isn’t indoctrination, that is childrens’ personalities shining through. Personalities encourage individual development, the exact opposite phenomenon to which you claim is occuring.

John Adams was a Soviet- “It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.”

And I guess James Madison was as well, “…that it is better for the poorer classes to have the aid of the richer by a general tax on property, than that every parent should provide at his own expence for the education of his children, it is certain that every Class is interested in establishments which give to the human mind its highest improvements, and to every Country its truest and most durable celebrity.

Learned Institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty & dangerous encroachments on the public liberty. They are the nurseries of skilful Teachers for the schools distributed throughout the Community. They are themselves schools for the particular talents required for some of the Public Trusts, on the able execution of which the welfare of the people depends. They multiply the educated individuals from among whom the people may elect a due portion of their public Agents of every description; more especially of those who are to frame the laws; by the perspicuity, the consistency, and the stability, as well as by the just & equal spirit of which the great social purposes are to be answered.

Without such Institutions, the more costly of which can scarcely be provided by individual means, none but the few whose wealth enables them to support their sons abroad can give them the fullest education; and in proportion as this is done, the influence is monopolized which superior information everywhere possesses. ” (Madison’s Letter to William Barry Supporting Kentucky’s 1st major public education program).

So unless our founding fathers were left-wing commies, maybe we need to back to the drawing board on our discussion of public schools and understand that public education was probably the one thing our founders agreed upon. Our public schools are failing because it has been politicized and gutted by the right-wing who want public education to fail and by short-sighted teachers’ unions who don’t want to be held accountable. We’ve also lost local control to federal mandates that both the left and right are guilty of issuing, e.g. No Child Left Behind.

Hey Rodney, How about taking some of that money you want to spend on state supported babysitting and have some of these welfare moms tubes tied. That will serve a dual purpose, That will reduce the number of welfare kids and reduce the need for state run baby sitting.

As a retired public school educator, I find your blather pretty insulting. I know of a couple of instances where (anecdotal, I am certain you can find many others) where home schooling was very beneficial. In both incidences, there was a vary high educated stay at home parent that inculcated great knowledge and ideals into their children. However, the ironic part of the equation: the working parent derived their income from public education (a teacher and a textbook salesperson). With your haughty attitude, I assume you live in a gated community and send your children to private schools for the privileged. If not, why the grousing? As to the “failed public schools”, you really need to get out more. Changes, due diligence, constant oversight? Absolutely! But, to speak in the self assured, condescending manner your broach: please!

If women don’t have the ability to care for their children (time and money), don’t have them… or at least don’t have so many. I, for one, don’t want to take care of YOUR children! That should be the patents’ obligation, not mine or other taxpayers.

As a retired public school educator, I find your blather pretty insulting. I know of a couple of instances where (anecdotal, I am certain you can find many others) where home schooling was very beneficial. In both incidences, there was a vary high educated stay at home parent that inculcated great knowledge and ideals into their children. However, the ironic part of the equation: the working parent derived their income from public education (a teacher and a textbook salesperson). With your haughty attitude, I assume you live in a gated community and send your children to private schools for the privileged. If not, why the grousing? As to the “failed public schools”, you really need to get out more. Changes, due diligence, constant oversight? Absolutely! But, to speak in the self assured, condescending manner your broach: please!

And the anti-tax right wingers who hide behind the “founding fathers” and patriotism even though the founding fathers’ positions contradict their own beliefs continue to play ostrich and don’t answer arguments presented by M and others. Instead they make arguments for tubal litigation, who is really advocating social engineering here?

I guess it is hard to hear actual arguments when your ears are full of sand, it’s even harder to formulate a response when your mouth is full of it.

One drawback of blogs is that anybody with an opinion can present misinformation as fact with little accountability. Dave, despite your ridiculous and inflammatory characterization of pre-K as “babysitting”, I imagine you are a relatively intelligent guy. However, you misread and therefore completely misundertood what this bill actually does. After a quick reading of SB 599, I’d like to correct this misinformation for your readers: The bill does NOT make pre-K mandatory for 3 year olds. It simply broadens the current elibility requirements (specified in Section 29.153 b of the Education Code), now making ALL 4 years olds, regardless of their economic status, eligible for pre-K. That means **GASP** even affluent 4 year olds would be able to attend pre-K!

Well, I guess you are an intelligent person yourself and probably understand the difference between saying that must offer pre-k to three year olds versus saying that pre-k is mandatory for three year olds. But in your zeal to “correct” me you might have overlooked that distinction. Dave

The issue is not who loves kids more than Rodney Ellis (or the taxpayers who pay the bills). The issue is financially responsible behavior by legislators. We have a balanced budget requirement in our state so every biennial budget must balance revenue to the state with expenditures by the state. Revenues have fallen significantly and action is needed. Either cut expenditures or raise taxes (or some of both). Proposals for increased government spending, no matter how wonderful sounding, just don’t cut it.

Intelligent I am, Dave. So let me go ahead and quote you directly so you’ll have to directly address the misinformation you posted.

YOU SAID: the bill “drop[s] the eligiblity age from four years down to three”. FALSE. Certain 3 year olds already are eligible for pre-k under the current statute, and the bill does not change that language.

YOU SAID: the bill would mean that “every school district with 15 or more three year olds that meet one of six requirements MUST offer pre-kindergarten”. FALSE. The current statute clearly says school districts with 15 or more eligible 3 year olds “MAY” offer pre-K, not “MUST” as YOU said. And again, that’s current statute which the bill does not change.

You clearly misread the bill. It happens to the best of us. Just eat some humble pie and admit it.

Academic Pre-K programs, such as the EXCELLENT one at Red Elementary in HISD, are not babysitting. They are every bit as much academic as other programs. We paid over $400 per month and it was worth every penny. It gave my son a wonderful start to his school career.

Just admit that you hate anything relating to public schools. It is apparent.

Sorry, I can’t admit to something that isn’t true. FWIW, I like public schools. Both of my daughters graduated from public schools, one was valedictorian of our high school. Of course, my wife was very active in their education and no, we didn’t take “advantage” of pre-kindergarten. Dave

Actually, the browser froze. Don’t know if it was a computer error or a problem with the Chronicle site. But, you are correct, there are much better ways to spend time that attempting to discuss matters with the self righteous. You may now continue with your error free life.

Wow, I’m not a teacher but I find your attitude toward them demeaning.

RE: the studies about homeschooled students… do they take into account that the public school teachers have to accept all enrolled students irregardless of the amount of parental involvement? Homeschooled students should rank high with parental involvement, and studies have shown that students do better academically when they have parental involvement. Basically, the point is that there are more factors to consider and that its not a fair comparison.

RE: Your assessment of the student teacher noticing that some 4 year-olds took (or abstained from) a leadership role in one situation, then comparing this to the Soviet Cold War. Really?! That’s absurd.

Overall, I understood and agree with your point that now isn’t the time to go on a spending spree. I just didn’t agree with your slant against our public education. Maybe if we paid our teachers more and our congressmen less…

Dave, how nice your wife was involved in your kids’ education. It must have been much easier for them than for the child of the woman I used to work with whose husband decided she no longer met his needs. He bailed, never paid child support, and was never involved in their child’s life.

Or, how about another woman I worked with whose husband decided armed robbery was a much better way to make a living than actually working. It’s pretty tough to pay child support when you are doing 10 years as a guest of the state. The woman somehow managed to raise a decent child, but would have been much better off with a public PreK program.

And lastly, there’s the wife of a colleague who died from cancer at a young age, leaving his widow and young child to cope. He had life insurance, but the widow still had to work to make sure the money lasted. She could have used a pre k program as well. See, it’s not all about welfare queens needing tubals. Good people, through no fault of their own, have problems. Get out of your bubble and talk to some people who have real life issues.

Hi, thanks for commenting. I’m pretty sure that I don’t live in bubble you think I do but I suppose that is a matter of opinion.

We should not, as a society, make policy based upon sad stories. We need to make policy that benefits society as a whole. Taxation should be regarded as a “last resorts” thing. LBJ’s whole program to end poverty is placing all of us in jeopardy and pulls people down instead of up.

Good people certainly have problems, although I wouldn’t say that the majority of those problems are “no fault”. I’m glad that in the cases you cite, the result turned out well despite the fact that the women didn’t have to depend upon government paid baby sitters. I never said anything about “welfare queens”, believe me, we have a lot of people that have no need for government support receiving government support.

At some point, we need to return to the idea that charity should be a private enterprise. After all, in a country that claims to be 80% or more Christian, that should be automatic. Government programs have decimated the spirit of charity and the spirit of Christianity.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks again, Dave

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